One of my great joys of living on a mountain side was getting acquainted with the wild flowers that naturally grew there. Living at 8,000 feet has a demanding set of growing conditions: hot in the day, really cool at night and a short growing season.
I found this entry in my journal from June 9, 2001 and decided this was the perfect time to share it with you. The sketches and painting were created this spring.
"...I sat outside the other night and just loved the moonlight on the wild white primroses. They only bloom at night and are so heavy sweet and exotic that they don't seem to belong on this dry mountainside.
Yet, they are part of this place, like the surprising sweetness of these mountains distilled into those little golden hearts,
...but they close and wilt with the heat of the morning sun, they can only be enjoyed in the cool of night.
If I didn't live here, I wouldn't know about them. They are a bit of a hidden secret.
As I came up the steps to the studio that night, the little glow worms were out, another bit of mystery. They glowed a beautiful neon green like little runway lights guiding me on my way to my room.
It was a magical moment and I rejoiced in the beauty of that night."
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| "They Only Bloom at Night" ©2020 |
Happy Creating!
>^-^<
Tina
p.s. There are a surprising number of variations of Evening Primrose growing in the southwest! This link goes to the variety that looks the closest like the flower that grew on our mountainside, Oenothera Caespitosa, Tufted Evening Primrose
